Which camcorder is better canon or Sony?

Q. I want to buy a HD camcorder for home use. I found canon HF R20 in a store near me on sale for 282$, online price is around 400$, but it's an older model which is discontinued by canon and some stores still have it. I also found Sony HDRCX 190 which is around 270-300$. When I read their description they look the same to me. Is the difference in price because canon is a better brand? Is canon for 282$ a steal or is better to go with a newer Sony?

A. Hi Ms.Z:

I don't know where online you've been looking, but almost everywhere I've looked, the Canon HF-R20 is selling around that same $280 price (Canon USA currently sells it on its website for $349).

[They also sell the HF20 factory-refurbished in either Silver, Black, or Red for $249 at Canon Direct: http://shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10051_10051_302514_-1 ].

Walmart & Target currently sell the Sony CX190 for $269.

I own both Sony & Canon camcorders, and both are very good brands. (Sony makes more models that are used by TV stations & networks than Canon, but Canon makes more pro-TV lenses.)

Personally, I don't think either one is that great, although you get 8Gb of internal memory with the Canon model (none in the Sony) and the Canon will hold 2 SD cards at the same time (just one with the Sony). The Sony has a longer optical zoom-factor (25x compared to Canon's 20x). But you should read a couple of reviews for each model and make your own decision:

CNet Review (May 2012) for the Sony CX190: http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorders/sony-handycam-hdr-cx190/4505-6500_7-35128679.html (They didn't like the image quality, for the money. And they thought it felt "flimsy".)

CNet review {January 2011) for the Canon HF20: http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorders/canon-vixia-hf-r20/4505-6500_7-34468433.html

hope this helps,
--Dennis C.
 

Original Question

Tips & advice to buying a waterproof handheld camcorder?

Q. I am looking for a WATERPROOF HANDHELD CAMCORDER for a trip that I am going on. I need tips and advice for what to look for when buying the camcorder. It doesn't matter about cost, I just need to know the suitable quality for going on a vacation, where there is great quality of sound, good picture, can be used when snorkelling, good battery life, etc.

If anyone could give me tips, advice, or their knowledge from personal experiences on what to look for and what sort of brands are good or bad when buying them. Also websites of places I could buy one is good too. Any sort of information or websites where I can research more would be greatly appreciated too.

I would like the style of all of these to see but being waterproof.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/06/sony-handycam-hdr-gw77v-hands-on/
http://techleash.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Sony_Bloggie_Pocket_HD_Camcorder.jpg
http://hd-cheaply.com/camcorders/aiptek-a-hd-camcorder-records-720p-at-30fps-for-under-150/

Thank you for your help in advance. :)

A. Amazon/EBay

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Tips & advice to buying a waterproof handheld camcorder?

Q. I am looking for a WATERPROOF HANDHELD CAMCORDER for a trip that I am going on. I need tips and advice for what to look for when buying the camcorder. It doesn't matter about cost, I just need to know the suitable quality for going on a vacation, where there is great quality of sound, good picture, can be used when snorkelling, good battery life, etc.

If anyone could give me tips, advice, or their knowledge from personal experiences on what to look for and what sort of brands are good or bad when buying them. Also websites of places I could buy one is good too. Any sort of information or websites where I can research more would be greatly appreciated too.

I would like the style of all of these to see but being waterproof.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/06/sony-handycam-hdr-gw77v-hands-on/
http://techleash.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Sony_Bloggie_Pocket_HD_Camcorder.jpg
http://hd-cheaply.com/camcorders/aiptek-a-hd-camcorder-records-720p-at-30fps-for-under-150/

Thank you for your help in advance. :)

A. Amazon/EBay

Original Question

I am confused between Fujifilm S2980 and Samsung WB100?

Q. i really cant choose between both, and i can't find helping reviews over the internet, most reviews i found where about ppl who had just bought or received one of the cameras as a gift and were much excited about it!
i want to know if the review of ppl who used it for at least few months, the cons and pros
i know that Samsung has better zoom, and Fujifilm has a view finder but its not that important for me , iam more concerned with good quality that would last for a good period of time , idont wanna buy a camera that breaks down after few months

A. Hi "eman" and welcome to Y!A Camcorders:

You appear to be in Egypt, so I don't know what search engine results you've been getting, but there are some professional reviews on CNet and Engadget, and elsewhere, that you'd find helpful. DP Review (http://dpreview.com) is another good site for digital camera reviews.

One tip: you are asking about two still-cameras (photos not videos) in the Camcorders section. The Y!A Cameras section is where most of the photo camera users hang out. If you're mainly wanting to shoot video, neither is really the best choice for you.

I know a lot of everyday camera users now want just one "gadget" for shooting both photos and videos, but "point & shoot" cameras (or even "bridge cameras" like these two models you are asking about) are a compromise when it comes to video.

My personal opinion, brand-wise, is that Fujifilm (the "Japanese Kodak") has been making cameras a lot longer than Samsung, and Fuji is generally a better choice. Samsung entered the camera market in 1995 when they bought German camera company Rollei, but isn't as well-known for quality lenses like Fuji is. I do not like the Samsung quality in their cellphone construction (owned several).

Here are some reviews, so you can make your own decision:
Fuji S2980 "Ephotozine review" (UK): http://www.ephotozine.com/article/fujifilm-finepix-s2980-digital-camera-review-20407
Samsung WB100 "Engadget review" with many user comments (US): http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/29/samsung-brings-out-wb100-camera-with-26x-lens/
Samsung WB150F "Ephotozine review" (only similar model they reviewed - UK): http://www.ephotozine.com/article/samsung-wb150f-ultra-zoom-review-18632
Samsung & Fuji "CNet side-by-side comparison" WB100 & two S4000-series & a Nikon Coolpix (similar prices): http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/samsung-wb100-red/4540-6501_7-35430119-4.html

hope this helps,
--Dennis C.
 

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Why film an event with a old movie camera instead of todays standard tape pro cameras ? 1990-2012 cameras?

Q. When i was watching FIFA world cup italia 1990. I was watching it live on tv... i remember the quality of the matches was 100% brilliant live.. like todays quality live match images on tv. I remember that. But in 1994 fifa world up usa.. the quality was still good but it looked more snowy and more ghosty then previewsly in 1990. Im in australia so not sure why the quality was less quality in 1994 when 1990 was very brilliant quality on at the time.

Okies QUESTIONS: When i was watching fifa world up on tv in 1990. notice there was a guy in his business clothes filming a match close to the field which looked like it was a movie camera a round shape camera looked like a old filming camera shape in his shoulder...


My question is... why on earth would someone at the field film a match on film rather then virtually a normal profetional camera that uses TAPE rather then roll films like the old days ?

What was it for... was he just doing a documentry meant mainly for a documentry about fifa world up and had to be film in roll film camera ? I don't understand why.. since old film cameras would make a playback image look like a movie or not so clear viewing as in tapes.

I remember watching north korea this year the dearth of the piggy who the guys where filming the ceremony like old roll film cameras.. you can exactly see the type of cameras.. again thats 2012... why would they use these types of cameras when there is profetional camcorder cameras that does more clear and brilliant picture then old days films ?

I wonder if its been used yet other countrys for live events.... not sure why they use something that wont make the image super clean... roll film filming means the image your just recorded aventually will have scratches all over the documentry making it out as if the stuff you just film was a 1940s film era.

Love to know this.. could you be kind to explain it all to me? im very interested about this. thanks very much.

A. Hi again, Mofina:

Part of your Question asks about equipment used 22 years ago, and a lot of technological advancements in portable camcorders have been made since then, although film cameras haven't changed very much in that time period.

But just like with American football matches and the NFL Films documentary team, many camera crews that don't need to broadcast "live" prefer to work with film rather than videotape for many reasons. And when it comes to international event coverage, using film eliminates the worry about the various television broadcast formats that exist (and are quite different!) from country to country. (With modern camcorders, this is why the "24p" cinema-emulation frame-rate setting is becoming more popular rather than having to choose between North American/Japan 30/60fps and European 25/50fps settings.)

Contrary to what you might think, brand new film footage can have a better image quality (both in resolution and contrast rendering) than your average news & sports camcorder. And unlike in the 1940s, the original footage is usually scanned (electronically) or an intermediate negative (called a CRI or "interneg") is made so the original remains pristine & unscratched. Plus, film stock chemistry has greatly improved since the World War II era. You'd be surprised at the number of Hollywood-quality films that have been made using modern 16mm color film stock and camera/lens combinations.

And finally, when it comes to fast-action sports like soccer/football, it's simpler and less-costly to use fast-shutter speeds (to eliminate blurring in single frames) or higher frame rates (for extreme slow-motion capture) with a mechanical film camera than with an electronic camcorder.

It all boils down to selecting the right tool for the job, and which tools or media that work best for the project.

And as I mentioned in my earlier Answer to your Y!A Question about microphones used at FIFA matches, sometimes older technology is more reliable than the newest stuff.

hope this helps,
--Dennis C.
 

Original Question

In a area with much more squirrels then rabbits would a squirrel call work better for predators?

Q. For the second time this week I just witnessed a gray fox eating a squirrel and it was the coolest thing ever because I was able to watch from my kitchen. For the longest time I have been trying to get some good video of them for my youtube channel (channels partnered so its like a fun job) and I think now would be the best time due to the fact I have seen 4 red foxes and 2 or more gray foxes along with one lone coyote in just two weeks alone and thats a all time high. Anyway just a month or two ago I had probably about 30 squirrels eating corn from the food pile I put out and no rabbits. I have only seen like 20 rabbits in all of 2012. So wouldnt a squirrel call be better or do squirrels not make squeels?
Dan I know you probably know 100 times more then me but in only a 100 acre area wouldnt only one call be better then a whole wounded bird/rodent party? Sounds pretty suspicous to animals I bet.

A. Andrew:

All predators know the sound of an injured rabbit. All predators know the sound of an injured squirrel. In fact, the sound of just about ANY injured critter in the wild gets the attention of fox and coyotes, as well as any other critter that prefers a diet of meat. However, keep in mind that squirrels often retreat to the trees where the four-legged varmints can't get to them. Only the hawks and owls. All though the raptors make great video subjects, most predator hunters do not want them coming to the call. "IF" you invest in a quality calling system such as Fox Pro or one of a half a dozen other good brands of electronic callers, you can also equip yourself with a good variety of prerecorded calls on disc, tape, or memory card besides the sounds of injured rabbit and squirrel. I have three different electronics which offer me a selection that includes distress calls of fawn deer, cub bears, fox & coyote pups, bobcat/lynx kittens, woodpecker, wood rat, crows/ravens, waterfowl, two kinds of rabbits, etc. Even with all of that and more to choose from and three QUALITY electronics systems to choose from and play those sounds as well, I STILL carry my reed call because over the 40+ years I have hunted the predators, I have learned how to make it work, and work well. It talks a language that EVERY predator I would ever hunt FULLY understands. "RABBIT!" Just remember that with the animals that close to you, you do NOT want to over-blow or over-work the call. Also remember a VERY important point that a LOT of beginning callers don't often think about. Rabbits have a LOT smaller lungs than you do. Keep your calls down to shorter bursts and runs. Don't make L-O-N-G and drawn out calls or series of calls. If the varmints are as close to your neighborhood as you say, you should have them in your lap within minutes. If you haven't seen them within 15 minutes up to a half hour, max, either you've done something wrong and they've seen you or heard something about your call they didn't like, OR they just aren't there. This is one of those times when practice really does make perfect. But do NOT practice outside with the fox and coyotes. They learn quicker than we do and the smarter they get from our mistakes, the harder they will be to coax in to your call, regardless of WHAT kind of call you use. Good luck. (IMPORTANT TIP: Keep the battery for your camcorder FULLY charged. Remember they do not work as well or as long in COLD weather. It's even a good idea sometimes to carry the battery in your warm pocket until you are ready to use it. It's ALWAYS good to carry an extra fully charged spare or two.)

ANDREW: You don't EVER play them all as in your so-called "rodent party". You have a remote option to choose ONLY the call or two that best fits the occasion. In your case, I'd place my remote speaker about 40 or 50 yards away from where I set up the camera and then use the remote selector and volume control to pied-piper one in. At most, I have NEVER used more than three calls at any one session. I might start with the jackrabbit fairly loud and then go to a quiter version of the cottontail rabbit and finish up with the final coaxing call of a mouse or wood rat squeaking. It works. It's not rocket science here, just common sense and logic. And when you use the good quality products rather than a cellphone, trust me on this, the predators RARELY think it "sounds pretty suspicious". And that's something you CAN bet on.

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In a area with much more squirrels then rabbits would a squirrel call work better for predators?

Q. For the second time this week I just witnessed a gray fox eating a squirrel and it was the coolest thing ever because I was able to watch from my kitchen. For the longest time I have been trying to get some good video of them for my youtube channel (channels partnered so its like a fun job) and I think now would be the best time due to the fact I have seen 4 red foxes and 2 or more gray foxes along with one lone coyote in just two weeks alone and thats a all time high. Anyway just a month or two ago I had probably about 30 squirrels eating corn from the food pile I put out and no rabbits. I have only seen like 20 rabbits in all of 2012. So wouldnt a squirrel call be better or do squirrels not make squeels?
Dan I know you probably know 100 times more then me but in only a 100 acre area wouldnt only one call be better then a whole wounded bird/rodent party? Sounds pretty suspicous to animals I bet.

A. Andrew:

All predators know the sound of an injured rabbit. All predators know the sound of an injured squirrel. In fact, the sound of just about ANY injured critter in the wild gets the attention of fox and coyotes, as well as any other critter that prefers a diet of meat. However, keep in mind that squirrels often retreat to the trees where the four-legged varmints can't get to them. Only the hawks and owls. All though the raptors make great video subjects, most predator hunters do not want them coming to the call. "IF" you invest in a quality calling system such as Fox Pro or one of a half a dozen other good brands of electronic callers, you can also equip yourself with a good variety of prerecorded calls on disc, tape, or memory card besides the sounds of injured rabbit and squirrel. I have three different electronics which offer me a selection that includes distress calls of fawn deer, cub bears, fox & coyote pups, bobcat/lynx kittens, woodpecker, wood rat, crows/ravens, waterfowl, two kinds of rabbits, etc. Even with all of that and more to choose from and three QUALITY electronics systems to choose from and play those sounds as well, I STILL carry my reed call because over the 40+ years I have hunted the predators, I have learned how to make it work, and work well. It talks a language that EVERY predator I would ever hunt FULLY understands. "RABBIT!" Just remember that with the animals that close to you, you do NOT want to over-blow or over-work the call. Also remember a VERY important point that a LOT of beginning callers don't often think about. Rabbits have a LOT smaller lungs than you do. Keep your calls down to shorter bursts and runs. Don't make L-O-N-G and drawn out calls or series of calls. If the varmints are as close to your neighborhood as you say, you should have them in your lap within minutes. If you haven't seen them within 15 minutes up to a half hour, max, either you've done something wrong and they've seen you or heard something about your call they didn't like, OR they just aren't there. This is one of those times when practice really does make perfect. But do NOT practice outside with the fox and coyotes. They learn quicker than we do and the smarter they get from our mistakes, the harder they will be to coax in to your call, regardless of WHAT kind of call you use. Good luck. (IMPORTANT TIP: Keep the battery for your camcorder FULLY charged. Remember they do not work as well or as long in COLD weather. It's even a good idea sometimes to carry the battery in your warm pocket until you are ready to use it. It's ALWAYS good to carry an extra fully charged spare or two.)

ANDREW: You don't EVER play them all as in your so-called "rodent party". You have a remote option to choose ONLY the call or two that best fits the occasion. In your case, I'd place my remote speaker about 40 or 50 yards away from where I set up the camera and then use the remote selector and volume control to pied-piper one in. At most, I have NEVER used more than three calls at any one session. I might start with the jackrabbit fairly loud and then go to a quiter version of the cottontail rabbit and finish up with the final coaxing call of a mouse or wood rat squeaking. It works. It's not rocket science here, just common sense and logic. And when you use the good quality products rather than a cellphone, trust me on this, the predators RARELY think it "sounds pretty suspicious". And that's something you CAN bet on.

Original Question

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In a area with much more squirrels then rabbits would a squirrel call work better for predators?

Q. For the second time this week I just witnessed a gray fox eating a squirrel and it was the coolest thing ever because I was able to watch from my kitchen. For the longest time I have been trying to get some good video of them for my youtube channel (channels partnered so its like a fun job) and I think now would be the best time due to the fact I have seen 4 red foxes and 2 or more gray foxes along with one lone coyote in just two weeks alone and thats a all time high. Anyway just a month or two ago I had probably about 30 squirrels eating corn from the food pile I put out and no rabbits. I have only seen like 20 rabbits in all of 2012. So wouldnt a squirrel call be better or do squirrels not make squeels?
Dan I know you probably know 100 times more then me but in only a 100 acre area wouldnt only one call be better then a whole wounded bird/rodent party? Sounds pretty suspicous to animals I bet.

A. Andrew:

All predators know the sound of an injured rabbit. All predators know the sound of an injured squirrel. In fact, the sound of just about ANY injured critter in the wild gets the attention of fox and coyotes, as well as any other critter that prefers a diet of meat. However, keep in mind that squirrels often retreat to the trees where the four-legged varmints can't get to them. Only the hawks and owls. All though the raptors make great video subjects, most predator hunters do not want them coming to the call. "IF" you invest in a quality calling system such as Fox Pro or one of a half a dozen other good brands of electronic callers, you can also equip yourself with a good variety of prerecorded calls on disc, tape, or memory card besides the sounds of injured rabbit and squirrel. I have three different electronics which offer me a selection that includes distress calls of fawn deer, cub bears, fox & coyote pups, bobcat/lynx kittens, woodpecker, wood rat, crows/ravens, waterfowl, two kinds of rabbits, etc. Even with all of that and more to choose from and three QUALITY electronics systems to choose from and play those sounds as well, I STILL carry my reed call because over the 40+ years I have hunted the predators, I have learned how to make it work, and work well. It talks a language that EVERY predator I would ever hunt FULLY understands. "RABBIT!" Just remember that with the animals that close to you, you do NOT want to over-blow or over-work the call. Also remember a VERY important point that a LOT of beginning callers don't often think about. Rabbits have a LOT smaller lungs than you do. Keep your calls down to shorter bursts and runs. Don't make L-O-N-G and drawn out calls or series of calls. If the varmints are as close to your neighborhood as you say, you should have them in your lap within minutes. If you haven't seen them within 15 minutes up to a half hour, max, either you've done something wrong and they've seen you or heard something about your call they didn't like, OR they just aren't there. This is one of those times when practice really does make perfect. But do NOT practice outside with the fox and coyotes. They learn quicker than we do and the smarter they get from our mistakes, the harder they will be to coax in to your call, regardless of WHAT kind of call you use. Good luck. (IMPORTANT TIP: Keep the battery for your camcorder FULLY charged. Remember they do not work as well or as long in COLD weather. It's even a good idea sometimes to carry the battery in your warm pocket until you are ready to use it. It's ALWAYS good to carry an extra fully charged spare or two.)

ANDREW: You don't EVER play them all as in your so-called "rodent party". You have a remote option to choose ONLY the call or two that best fits the occasion. In your case, I'd place my remote speaker about 40 or 50 yards away from where I set up the camera and then use the remote selector and volume control to pied-piper one in. At most, I have NEVER used more than three calls at any one session. I might start with the jackrabbit fairly loud and then go to a quiter version of the cottontail rabbit and finish up with the final coaxing call of a mouse or wood rat squeaking. It works. It's not rocket science here, just common sense and logic. And when you use the good quality products rather than a cellphone, trust me on this, the predators RARELY think it "sounds pretty suspicious". And that's something you CAN bet on.

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